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murdered for their cell phones. What mattered was that
the criminals were able to take out such a high profile
businessman. It was confirmation that law and order had
broken down and that no one in the land was safe.
The press went to town with the story, giving it front-page,
headline prominence and extensive coverage for more than
a week. In a TV feature the crime was graphically re-enacted,
and the talk shows and phone-in programmes were flooded
with calls.
This was a loss to the nation. In bullshit obituaries
and profiles Dreyer’s career was described in adulatory
detail. From the moment he entered his father’s
engineering firm he had shown hardheaded entrepreneurial
flair. He had expanded the business and won lucrative
orders from top mining houses. After the death of his
father he and his younger brother had begun to diversify.
By his mid-forties he was at the helm of an organisation
with interests in mining, engineering, construction and
retail. His political shrewdness was legendary, and had
greatly assisted in the relentless expansion of his business
interests as the country’s economy continued to
grow. His dynamism and acumen would be sorely missed.
South Africa could not afford to lose men of this calibre.
The government must declare war on the criminals.
No mention was made of his less admirable qualities or
the fact that many celebratory glasses had been raised
to mark the news of his passing.
Although it was agreed that Dreyer had died at the hands
of car hijackers – there was no dispute about that
– there was a puzzling aspect to the crime. In the
absence of broken glass or any other evidence of a violent
hold-up, how had the car been brought to a halt, and why
had the driver opened his window? After all, this vehicle
was fitted with the latest security system. It included
an anti-hijack radar device that acted as a double-layer
force-field around the car. This would have automatically
locked doors and closed windows and set off a siren if
anyone had approached too close.
Two days elapsed and neither the car nor the female
passenger had been found. A rumour began to circulate
that the police were investigating the possibility that
the woman might be implicated in the crime. Then on the
third day she was found.
*
A man who worked as a gardener was trudging along the
verge of the highway ...NEXT-->
